The subject matter herein relates generally to a socket connector for an electronic package of an electronic system.
The ongoing trend toward smaller, lighter, and higher performance electrical components and higher density electrical circuits has led to the development of surface mount technology in the design of printed circuit boards and electronic packages. Surface mountable packaging allows for a separable connection of an electronic package, such as an integrated circuit or a computer processor, to pads on the surface of the circuit board rather than by contacts or pins soldered in plated holes going through the circuit board. Surface mount technology may allow for an increased component density on a circuit board, thereby saving space on the circuit board.
One form of surface mount technology includes socket connectors. A socket connector may include a substrate with terminals on one side of the substrate and an array of conductive solder elements, such as a ball grid array (BGA), on the opposite side, electrically connected through the substrate by conductive pathways through the substrate. The terminals engage contacts on the electronic package and the solder elements are affixed to conductive pads on a host circuit board, such as a mother board, to electrically join the electronic package with the host circuit board. The terminals have a compressible interface. Conventional socket connectors provide a separate structure to hold the electronic package in place on the substrate and compress the terminals. Such structure adds cost to the socket connector and are bulky and occupy significant space on the host circuit board.
Additionally, conventional architecture provides the socket connector between the electronic package and the host circuit board. Electrical paths are defined through the socket connector to the host circuit board to drive signals from the bottom of the electronic package, through the socket connector into the host circuit board. Such electrical paths are then routed to an electrical connector mounted at a separate location on the host circuit board, such as a high speed electrical connector. The routing of the circuits between the socket connector and the high speed electrical connector on the host circuit board occupies board space on the host circuit board. Additionally, the electrical performance of the electronic system is reduced by the multiple electrical interfaces between the electronic package and the high speed connector on the host circuit board. Conventional systems are struggling to meet signal and power output from the electronic package because there is a need for smaller size and higher number of conductors while maintaining good electrical performance through the system.
A need remains for a high speed socket connector having improved electrical performance.